GARDENERS NOTEBOOK
Sarah Stock Reveals A Favorite Cottage Garden
By Jani Gardner
This,perennial border at the Edgartown Harborside Inn, is a favorite which Vineyard gardener, Sarah Stock, designed, and tends. “I began by having Joel Anthony bring in some of his composted soil for all the beds. This magical soil allows me to have the best gardens ever; all my plants flourishing beyond measure. Things that do okay in other gardens of mine go gaga here, they reach twice their normal size and flower like mad.”
When Sarah inherited the Harborside gardens, they had just a planting of single impatiens all in a row.” Asked to design a garden in the English Cottage Garden style, which is her forté: “I allowed myself to plant all of my favorites! People on holiday see and enjoy this garden, so I wanted it to be very gay and colorful,” tells Sarah.
To hide as much as possible the unattractive, industrial chain link fence required by law around the pool, she planted “tall pink and purple Loosestrife at the back of the border. There's a lot of white, pink and lavender Phlox there and some Physostegia that I wouldn't plant again, it's so invasive, but it does have a pretty purple flower in August, just when you need it. Add a large blue Amsonia that flowers in June, pale blue clusters, with feathery foliage that turns a pretty Fall copper color. I love the Monarda, the bee balm, called ‘Croftway Pink.’ It attracts hummingbirds, which the children love to see. This whole border is a real magnet for bees and also butterflies.”
“ I'm not usually a big fan of yellow, but I do love the Lysimachia punctata, called 'Circle Flower.' I'm not sure why. It can be a bit of a thug, but I think that true, clear yellow just makes the other colors pop! I let my Lady's Mantle trail over the edge of the beds onto the bricks. Its’ chartreuse plumes are a beautiful accent to all the other colors. There's some Stoke's Aster at the garden front there too, with beautiful blue aster-like blooms. This year, I love the Betony that I put in. It's got that purple flower and interesting crinkly leaves in a rosette at its base. Hard to believe it's in the same family (Stachys) as the silvery Lamb's Ears. Hydrangea are de rigeur on the Vineyard, everybody loves them.”
Sarah likes mixing them into a border like this Harborside garden version. She’s been able to coax almost everything shown here to give a second flush of blooms after they are dead-headed in July. She finds this garden a challenge, because it is so closely scrutinized, by so many people.
In season, Sarah goes to the Inn garden very early each day, before it’s too hot and so-o busy. “I love waking up there in the garden. I say Good Morning to each plant and try to make each one look its’ best, especially the roses. This border provides color and interest all season long, until frost, when the Inn closes in November.”
When Sarah inherited the Harborside gardens, they had just a planting of single impatiens all in a row.” Asked to design a garden in the English Cottage Garden style, which is her forté: “I allowed myself to plant all of my favorites! People on holiday see and enjoy this garden, so I wanted it to be very gay and colorful,” tells Sarah.
To hide as much as possible the unattractive, industrial chain link fence required by law around the pool, she planted “tall pink and purple Loosestrife at the back of the border. There's a lot of white, pink and lavender Phlox there and some Physostegia that I wouldn't plant again, it's so invasive, but it does have a pretty purple flower in August, just when you need it. Add a large blue Amsonia that flowers in June, pale blue clusters, with feathery foliage that turns a pretty Fall copper color. I love the Monarda, the bee balm, called ‘Croftway Pink.’ It attracts hummingbirds, which the children love to see. This whole border is a real magnet for bees and also butterflies.”
“ I'm not usually a big fan of yellow, but I do love the Lysimachia punctata, called 'Circle Flower.' I'm not sure why. It can be a bit of a thug, but I think that true, clear yellow just makes the other colors pop! I let my Lady's Mantle trail over the edge of the beds onto the bricks. Its’ chartreuse plumes are a beautiful accent to all the other colors. There's some Stoke's Aster at the garden front there too, with beautiful blue aster-like blooms. This year, I love the Betony that I put in. It's got that purple flower and interesting crinkly leaves in a rosette at its base. Hard to believe it's in the same family (Stachys) as the silvery Lamb's Ears. Hydrangea are de rigeur on the Vineyard, everybody loves them.”
Sarah likes mixing them into a border like this Harborside garden version. She’s been able to coax almost everything shown here to give a second flush of blooms after they are dead-headed in July. She finds this garden a challenge, because it is so closely scrutinized, by so many people.
In season, Sarah goes to the Inn garden very early each day, before it’s too hot and so-o busy. “I love waking up there in the garden. I say Good Morning to each plant and try to make each one look its’ best, especially the roses. This border provides color and interest all season long, until frost, when the Inn closes in November.”